Paris, July 28 (UNI) Japan and Spain stormed into the men’s quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics with commanding victories on Saturday.
Japan secured their spot with a thrilling 1-0 win over Mali, thanks to midfielder Rihito Yamamoto’s decisive strike in the 82nd minute. Mali had a golden opportunity to equalise in stoppage time, but forward Moussa Diakite missed his penalty.
Earlier, Spain demonstrated their prowess with a 3-1 triumph against a 10-man Dominican Republic. Fermin Lopez opened the scoring for Spain in the 24th minute.
The Dominican Republic leveled the score in the 38th minute with a header from Angel Montes, their only shot on target. However, their momentum was halted when forward Edison Azcona received a red card for a reckless foul on Pau Cubarsi.
Spain took full advantage of their numerical superiority in the second half, with Alex Baena netting a goal in the 55th minute and Miguel Gutierrez adding another 15 minutes later. Both Spain and Japan have secured their spots in the knockout stages with one group match remaining.
In other action, hosts France faced a tough challenge from Guinea but emerged victorious with a 1-0 win. Kiliann Sildillia scored the crucial goal in the 76th minute, assisted by Michael Olise.
Argentina bounced back from a 2-1 defeat to Morocco by defeating Iraq 3-1. Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez played a key role, providing two assists.
Thiago Almada opened the scoring for Argentina in the 13th minute, but Iraq equalized in first-half injury time through Hussein Aymen. Argentina coach Javier Mascherano’s tactical switch paid off when substitute Luciano Gondou headed in the go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute.
Ezequiel Fernandez sealed the victory in the 85th minute with a stunning strike, set up by Alvarez.
Other notable results included Ukraine’s 2-1 win over Morocco, Paraguay’s dramatic 4-2 victory over Israel with two stoppage-time goals, the United States’ 4-1 thrashing of New Zealand, and Egypt’s 1-0 win over Uzbekistan, ending the latter’s hopes of advancing.
As the group stages near their conclusion, the competition heats up, promising more thrilling encounters ahead as teams vie for a spot in the coveted knockout rounds.
